The US has mentioned that its choice to present a USD 450 million sustenance package deal for Pakistan’s F-16 fleet is not designed as a message to India quite it’s related to America’s protection partnership with Islamabad which is primarily centered on counterterrorism and nuclear safety.
On September 8, the Biden administration authorised a USD 450 million F-16 fighter jet fleet sustainment program to Pakistan, reversing the choice of the earlier Trump administration to droop army support to Islamabad for offering protected havens for the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani community.
India has conveyed to the US its issues over Washington’s choice to present a sustenance package deal for Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jet fleet.
In a notification to the US Congress, the State Department made a willpower approving a attainable international army sale for sustainment and associated tools for an estimated price of USD 450 million, arguing that this can maintain Islamabad’s functionality to meet present and future counterterrorism threats by sustaining its F-16 fleet.
Responding to a query, Dr Ely Ratner, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, on Thursday mentioned that the current US motion with Pakistan on F-16 is not designed as a message to India as it relates to its relationship with Russia .
The choice contained in the US authorities across the F-16 subject was made predicated on US pursuits related to our protection partnership with Pakistan which is primarily centered on counterterrorism and nuclear safety and as the (Defence) Secretary Lloyd Austin made clear to (Defence) Minister Rajnath Singh throughout his name final week, this case did not embody any upgrades or munitions, he instructed a group of reporters on Thursday and think-tank specialists throughout a digital spherical desk.
On September 14, Singh conveyed to US Defense Secretary Austin, India’s issues over Washington’s choice to present a sustenance package deal for Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jet fleet.
We have been participating with our Indian counterparts, each prematurely of the announcement to preview it and through my go to with Assistant Secretary (Donald) Lu in Delhi as nicely. So we thought it was fairly necessary to be as clear as we might with Indian counterparts each prematurely and through that call and it offered a good alternative to have a wholesome alternate on each the US rationale for its restricted safety partnership with Pakistan as nicely as a good alternative to hear India’s issues about that, Ratner mentioned.
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